Transforming The Customer Experience

You Do WHAT For a Living?!

By Megan Colby, former Creative Consultant, current Communications Director at Spectrio

It’s tough to explain what I do for a living. Well, not what I do exactly, but what my company does.

Many people, when asked, can reply with a short answer. “I’m a nurse.” “I’m a teacher at Apple Elementary.” “I’m a reporter for the Mountain Tribune.” Mostly self-explanatory.

I can say, “I’m a copywriter.” Then the inevitable comes up. “What kind of copy do you write?”

I can’t just say On-Hold Messaging because not many people know what that means.

“Well, you know, when you call somewhere and they put you on hold and you hear the messages and music playing? That’s what my company does."

And the usual reply is, “Oh. So you’re the people!”

Yes, we’re the people.

I know being on hold is not the most pleasant experience. However, it’s no different than waiting in line to check out at the grocery store, for your server to bring the check after a meal, or in the drive-thru lane at the bank. If you’re patient, eventually you’ll get the customer service you need.

But the wait doesn’t have to be so bad. You could have some music to distract you from the fact that you’re waiting. Or you could learn more about the company you’re calling, listen to some fun trivia, or have a few of your questions answered. Alternatively, you could be treated to dead silence, irritating “BEEP” sounds every 10 seconds, or radio static.